Comments on: there’s no such thing as free parkinghttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/
Getting around the Bay Area with Denis Cuff and the Queen of the RoadTue, 17 May 2011 06:04:22 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1By: ex-Capricious Commuterhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3342
ex-Capricious CommuterThu, 10 Jul 2008 14:43:07 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3342I can relate to the theft problem, having lost three chained and U-locked (to each other) family bicycles in a gated apartment parking lot in LA.
]]>By: Mikehttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3357
MikeThu, 10 Jul 2008 05:41:15 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3357I never had a problem with the car in Mountain View. Lots of people parked overnight…there was a mass exodus for the southbound trains arriving at 7:55 and 8:55 am. Unfortunately for the northbound people, their train left at 7:58 so they couldn’t grab our spaces if the lot was already full.

Ironically, my car was eventually stolen from my home when in a gated parking area.

]]>By: MikeOnBikehttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3358
MikeOnBikeWed, 09 Jul 2008 21:02:31 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3358AFBM wrote: “I do also understand and sympathize with many of my neighbors who won’t take BART at all unless they can drive and park at the station.”

Sure, but that doesn’t mean parking needs to be free. Charging a fair market rate for parking means it will be available at all times of the day to anybody who wants it.

Won’t the hundreds of new residents near MacArthur Bart make the surrounding area far safer to walk in than it is right now?

And if there was no parking at the North Berkeley station, wouldn’t you be walking home with your neighbor, or waiting with her for the bus?

]]>By: A former business managerhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3356
A former business managerWed, 09 Jul 2008 18:30:34 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3356I have very mixed feelings about free (or subsidized) parking at bus stops and train stations.

On the one hand I can see the issue of subsidies skewing the distribution of expenses to benefit mostly longer distance commuters at the cost of non-drivers and local bus riders.

But on the other hand I do also understand and sympathize with many of my neighbors who won’t take BART at all unless they can drive and park at the station. They do this because they don’t feel safe waiting for a bus at BART stations and don’t feel safe walking home.

And indeed one of my neighbors was mugged at the North Berkeley BART station a couple of months ago as she came home in the afternoon. My neighbors is a true trooper, walking the 2 miles to and from the BART station regularly. (She does this because it takes less time from our West Berkeley neighborhood to walk than to take AC transit to the BART station.) But she is also retired. And I fear that she might be permanently harmed by a mugging gone too far. I wish that she would drive to the station despite her environmental consciousness. I don’t want to see her get hurt.

North Berkeley BART has historically had a fair number of “rat pack” muggings. In the past the City of Berkeley has employed part time police aides to offer assistance to BART riders because of the security concerns. This service stopped when the city budget became tight.

I can really see why people close to the MacArthur BART station don’t want to see any reduction in parking. Some the areas to the west of the station aren’t very safe places to walk, bicycle or wait for a bus.

When advocates push people to ride the bus, they often miss one of the reasons why people who are otherwise sympathetic drive instead. And that is that in many neighborhoods it simply is less than safe for people to walk to and from the bus stop at certain times of day. Also many people don’t want to have to transfer between busses at some intersections (for example along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland) after dark.

The reality of the level of crime on the street affects our modal choices. Providing parking at least offers some people the opportunity to use transit when otherwise they might not.

]]>By: Capricious Commuterhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3354
Capricious CommuterMon, 07 Jul 2008 20:35:09 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3354Murphs., you’re correct in that I’m not up on that trend. To me, the free door-to-door shuttle is in the same category with 100% Commuter Check subsidies, as in, I can’t relate. I may end up losing money on my unsubsidized Commuter Check subscription. (for those of you who don’t get why anybody would sign up for unsubsidized Commuter Check, it’s because it’s tax-free.)
]]>By: Reedmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3355
ReedmanMon, 07 Jul 2008 20:28:28 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3355Charging $1 for parking is a no-brainer. It needs to be done just to stop folks from using the lot to store their excess vehicles.

Better access for drive/BART connections would help transit a lot. The Fremont BART station is hemmed-in/cut-off by a hospital and city park. The Warm Springs Extension (even without going on to San Jose) would bring BART closer to I680, I880, and 237.

Enjoy your well used and safe transit parking and access controlled system. Here in Sacramento, parking ones car at the Light rail station is only done if you what to donate to the local parts houses. The homeless don’t need to sleep in parked cars when they can sleep in the Air Conditioned trains for free.

]]>By: david vartanoffhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3353
david vartanoffFri, 04 Jul 2008 18:21:36 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3353BART stations at one time had many AC routes providing feeder service. These have withered partially because BART users chose to drive to the stations. It would be useful to look at rider stats for the 6 months bracketing parking fees.
If as others have suggested BART were forced to accept AC passes as Muni does and AC were able to restore feeder routes, ridership would balloon and fewer auto trips would be defensible.
]]>By: Erichttp://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/2008/07/03/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-3351
EricFri, 04 Jul 2008 09:16:54 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/?p=708#comment-3351The MacArthur transit village will indeed be welcome, though it might have been nice to see higher density than what’s in the latest incarnation. Still better than surface parking, though.
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